Versailles Olde Tyme Apple Festival Wins $100,000 Hometown Throwdown Grand Prize

Baskets Of Apples - Versailles Apple Festival — AdobeStock Photo

The beloved central Missouri event, the Olde Tyme Apple Festival in Versailles, Mo., has won a $100,000 grand prize through the Cenex® Hometown Throwdown.

The Olde Tyme Apple Festival brings together small-town charm and festive fall spirit. Held every October, this two-day event includes a parade, a fiddler’s contest, a play with local actors, live music and, of course, plenty of apple-themed desserts. What truly makes this festival special is its dedication to supporting the local community, with all proceeds funding scholarships for high school students and other local initiatives.

"We are once again blown away by how communities have united around Hometown Throwdown. We love seeing and celebrating local communities and their festivals," said Erin Wroge, senior director of energy marketing at CHS Inc. "A huge congratulations to the Versailles Olde Tyme Apple Festival! It was amazing to see how the Versailles community rallied to help the festival rise to the top. We are looking forward to seeing how the festival continues to grow and support the Versailles community in the coming years."

Launched in 2023, Hometown Throwdown builds on the Cenex brand’s longstanding tradition of supporting the communities it serves. With a network of locally owned and operated convenience stores in over 1,000 communities across 19 states, Cenex has invested more than $850,000 to strengthen local initiatives through grants and community giveback programs like Hometown Throwdown. These efforts have funded over 80 community projects, ranging from athletic workshops in schools to support for local food shelters to initiatives that foster community pride such as local festivals and more.

Additional information about Hometown Throwdown can be found at CenexHometownThrowdown.com.

If you’d like to learn more about the ways the Cenex brand gives back to local communities, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube or visit cenex.com/local-giving.